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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spell — letters
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. current — of water
  10. spell — magic
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. current — electric
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. spell — a short time
  21. current — happening now
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com